CEBU CITY – Trouble is brewing between Mayor Michael Rama here and Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
RAMA (FB)
Saying he had enough, Rama on Thursday, February 29, called out the governor for ordering to stop the construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in province-owned lots on Osmeña Boulevard.
Rama accused Garcia of meddling in the affairs of the city when she ordered the construction of BRT stopped.
“I would like to remind the governor that there’s a mayor of a highly urbanized city…Come on, kanus-a man kuno ang gobernador mudikta sa syudad? Di na mahimo while I’m the mayor (When did it happen that a governor dictates the city? I will not allow that while I’m the mayor),” Rama said in an interview with radio station dyHP.
Rama lashed at Garcia a day after the governor issued a cease-and-desist order to stop the civil works of the Cebu BRT.
The governor said the construction has to stop after project proponents failed to obtain clearance from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines for civil works.
GARCIA (FB)
Garcia said the construction encroached portions of the buffer zones of the Cebu Provincial Capitol and the Fuente Osmeña Circle that may have violated heritage laws.
The Capitol Building is one of the remaining Neoclassical and Art Deco Structures in Cebu.
In a livestream episode of the “Ign’ang Mayor” (Tell the Mayor) of the city government’s Public Information Office (PIO), Rama said he opted to stay silent when the governor intervened several times in this city’s affairs.
Rama said the governor dipped her hands in the 2023 and 2024 Sinulog Festivals.
The mayor also lamented that the route of this year’s Solemn Foot Procession was changed after Garcia opposed plans to close N. Bacalso Ave. to pave the way for the procession.
Rama said “enough is enough” after he remained silent in all those times that Garcia supposedly intervened.
The order to stop Cebu BRT construction is the last straw, Rama said.
“Utong ko. Kay kahibalo man ko na nindut kaayo pagsugod pero bang! Oh karun wa nay utungay. Atubangay ta! (I just stayed silent because I knew that the start was good but bang! But now, I will speak up. Let’s face each other!)” Rama said.
Rama also lashed at the governor’s nephew, Vice Mayor Alvin Garcia, who delivered a privilege speech on Wednesday, February 28, supporting the Capitol’s memorandum over BRT.
The mayor was upset that the vice mayor had to deliver a privilege speech when they could have just talked about the matter.
“Mura man og layo kayko nga puwede ra man mo mag-emergency meeting nako (As if I am in a far place when we could have just an emergency meeting),” Rama said.
In what could be a retaliatory move, Rama threatened to scrutinize the operations of the province-run Cebu North Bus Terminal in the North Reclamation Area.
“I would like to look into the terminal accreditation committee because there might be other illegal terminals available around,” Rama said.
Rama also wanted the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) to finally transfer to the South Road Properties. CSBT is also run by the Capitol.